Talisman Turmoil
by Tatsurou-san
Summary: A chance to try again...An act of charity and friendship...two lives become permanantly intertwined in a tale of might and magic, as a forgotten prophecy unfolds.
1. Arrival of the Stranger

1. Arrival of the Stranger

IT was a few days after Jade and Jackie had moved into Section 13. They hadn't yet gotten an alert of another Talisman to chase after, and Jade had been quiet. It was making Jackie nervous.

"Jade," he asked finally. "What's on your mind?"

"Well, since we have such a big place now, I was wondering..." Jade began, not really facing him.

"Yes?"

"The school is holding a foreign exchange student program, and they were looking for volunteers for the homestay. Can we Jackie, please?" She gave him her cutest begging face.

"Jade! We live in a secret underground government facility! We cannot host a homestay! What were you thinking?"

"That it gets kinda lonely here when you're at work and I'm back from school, since it's not like I can invite friends over...not that I even have any yet..." She glanced away, looking sad.

Jackie put his face in his hand, sighing. "Jade...it just won't work. We can't host a foreign exchange student when we live in an underground government facility." He walked to the door. "I hope this is the last I hear of this." He opened the door.

A boy Jade's age with blue eyes and black hair done in a pigtail was standing there, his hand raised to knock. He had a backpack on his back, and a suitcase towed behind him. He was wearing black kung fu pants, black shoes, and a red chinese style shirt. He looked up at Jackie sadly. "Does this mean...I'm not welcome?"

Jackie turned around, aghast. "Jade! Did you already sign us up without asking me?"

Jade chuckled nervously. "Maybe?"

Jackie looked down at the boy. "How did you get here, anyway?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders and gestured. "The stairs."

Jackie covered his eyes. "How did you get past everyone walking through the halls?" When he looked, there was no sign of the boy. "Where did you go?" He looked either direction down the hallway. When he looked in front of him, the boy was there again. "WAH!" Jackie patted his chest. "How did you do that?"

"Family secret Martial Art Technique," the boy said simply.

"Oh, so you're a martial artist? How skilled are you?"

The boy shrugged. "I know a few advanced techniques, and my form's pretty advanced, but I still have a lot to learn. My...father is...was training me to be the best."

Jackie sighed. He caught the hesitation. "I'll...talk this over with Captain Black, see what we can do. In the meantime, why don't you spend some time with my neice, all right? Try and keep the both of you out of trouble."

THe boy nodded. "Hai." He moved to go inside.

"What's your name?" Jackie asked.

"Ranma Saotome." Ranma smiled as he set his suitcase down.

Jackie went and found Captain Black. "Captain Black, I have...a small problem."

"Oh? What is it, Jackie? I'll do what I can to help."

"Jade signed us up to do a homestay for her school's foreign exchange student program! She expects us to host a boy in the middle of an underground base!"

Captain Black looked taken aback. "Well, you'll just have to cancel it, and-"

"He's already here!"

"How did he get inside?"

"The same way Jade did."

They both sighed. "Well, if he already knows about the place, I guess there shouldn't be a problem, as long as he doesn't tell anyone." Captain Black shook his head. "My superiors would give me hell if they knew about this. Our security system circumvented by not one but two children?"

"Well, I'll see what I can do to keep them out of mischef."

Back at the room, Jade was telling Ranma about what had happened recently.

"It turns out, the talisman granted the power of levitation, and I could make things float with my stomach!"

"Wow!" Ranma said, listening eagerly. "That sounds pretty cool! And there are eleven more that you're going to have to find and keep away from the bad guys?"

"Yep! THis is gonna be the best school year ever!"

"I'm envious," Ranma said sadly. "That sounds like fun."

"Why don't you come, then?" Jade said happily. "Two heads are better than one!"

"That'd be sweet!" They high fived. "But...will Jackie let us go?"

"Pfft! Let? Why should we need permission?"

Ranma laughed with her. It felt good to have a real friend after all this time.

"Hey, you said you knew some pretty advanced techniques. Can you show me?"

"Sure." Ranma stood up and took a stance. "This one is real useful." He threw a series of rapid punches, almost too fast to see. "KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"

Jade's eyes widened. "Cool!" Then she thought about the name. "What?"

Ranma panted a bit. "It's named for the training technique. 'Chestnuts Roasting over an open Fire.' Toss some chestnuts into a fire, then pull them all out without getting burned." He was lost in thought though. *That's wierd...one Chestnut technique never left me this tired...*

Jade noticed his exhaustion. "Looks like you overdid it with that one."

Ranma nodded. "Guess so."

Later that night, when everyone else was asleep, Ranma pulled a strange jewel out on a chain around his neck. He gazed at it for a time.

*A new life, huh? I wonder what will happen...* Shrugging, he slipped it back into his shirt, rolled over, and fell asleep. 


	2. Joining the Hunt 1 Ox

2. Joining the Hunt 1 - Ox

Jackie and Jade were running through the jungle outside the pyramid, Jackie trying to lecture Jade while they ran. "What are you doing here? You are supposed to be back at the hotel, with Ranma, doing your homewrok!"

"Lucky for you we breezed through! Tohru was gonna bust you up like a pinata!"

"We?"

"Heads up!" a voice called from above.

Jackie looked up and saw a hang glider coming down. "What is that?"

Jade smirked. "Our exit!" She jumped up, seizing the bar. Jackie could only follow.

Ranma had control of the glider, but shifted to balance weight with Jackie in the middle. "Hey, you guys. How's my timing?"

Jackie just looked at them both. "Thanks, but don't finish your homework early again. It's too dangerous."

Back in town, Jackie and the kids were looking around. Jade was marveling about Mexico, but Jackie seemed concerned.

"The Talisman could be a million miles away," he mumbled.

"It's not," Ranma said suddenly. He saw them both looking at him. "What?"

"How do you know?" Jade asked him.

"My martial arts training included enhancing my senses, so I could sense a person's strength and abilities. You said there was a Talisman in the vault back at Section 13?" Jade nodded. "I got this...sensation of power from that direction while I was there. I've got that same sensation now, same...flavor and everything, which means it's the same type of power, right?"

Jackie stared at him. "So, if you're right, then the Talisman is close?" Ranma nodded. "And if you are, Uncle will insist you go with on these trips to give us an advantage in finding them, which means I'll never convince Jade to stay home. Bad day," he said at last, putting his head in his hands. Jackie turned towards a shop. "I'll ask the locals, see what they know. You two, stay put." Jackie went into the shop.

Jade and Ranma watched the mariachis, and then were approached by a local boy with a sheaf of flyers. "Ola! I am Paco. And what might a charming senorita such as yourself be doing this evening?" the boy asked Jade.

Jade flinched back, about to respond, when Ranma stepped in front. "She's with me," he said beligerantly. Inside he was thinking, *What the hell am I doing?*

"Oh, then perhaps you two would like to watch El Toro Fuerte win his latest match," Paco said, handing him one of the flyers.

Ranma glanced at the flyer, and his eyes caught something. "What do you say, Jade?" he said, showing her the flyer, pointing to something on El Toro's mask. "It might be fun!"

Jade, however, wasn't all that interested. "Wrestling? Psh, everyone knows it's fake, Ranma!"

Ranma smirked. "Which is why I'll toss this guy right out of the ring for you!"

Paco shook his head. "Your confidence does you credit, senior, but they will not allow a child to fight El Toro, the mightiest wrestler in the world!"

Ranma was looking beligerant again, but Jade had caught the competitive bug. "No way! See that guy in the shop? He'll cream El Toro in the ring, because HE'S the greatest!"

Paco glanced at Jackie. "THe Mouse Man? He can not!"

"Can too."

"Can not."

"Can too."

"Then the two best should meet, don't you think? I will see the two of you, and your mouse man, tonight, senorita Yade, senor Ranma." He walked off, handing another flier to someone else.

Jackie came out of the shop. Before he or Jade could say anything, Ranma jumped in. "Jackie! I know where the Talisman is!"

Both Jackie and Jade looked at him. "WHen did you find it?" Jade asked. "We were talking to Paco about wrestling, and-"

"It's part of El Toro's mask!" he proclaimed, pointing to it on the flyer. "Which means the only way we'll get it is if we defeat El Toro in the ring, because a Lucha Libre never removes his mask. It's a matter of honor."

Jackie looked at him. "How do you know so much?"

"I learned by watching and practicing. It was all I learned for a while, so I learned well."

Jackie thought for a time, then nodded. "Alright. I suppose I will have to fight him, then, since it will be a matter of honor for him."

"Yes!" Jade said, pumping her fist.

At the match, however, Jackie was unable to do much, and he was soundly beaten. When Jade woke him up, Ranma was pacing angrily. "Ranma, calm down. It's bad that Jackie lost, but-"

"The Talsiman was enhancing El Toro's strength! I could feel the magic flowing into him!" As he paced angrily, blue sparks danced from his fingertips, although he didn't notice.

Jade did, though. "Ranma, calm down. We'll just have to get the Talisman another way."

Ranma nodded. "Right."

Once Jackie had awakened, they pursued El Toro. While Jackie was talking to him, Ranma suddenly shivered. "What's wrong, Ranma?" Jade asked him.

"I don't know. It's just...an evil presence."

The Shadow Kahn appeared.

Jade blinked. "Woah! You can sense them, too?"

The shadow Kahn turned to attack Jackie and El Toro. A few decided to attack the children as well, but Ranma fought them well. Jade noticed something interesting during that fight. Ranma was still sparking, and any time a blue spark touched a shadow Kahn, it would vanish into shadows as though dispersed.

But the Shadow Kahn were to well coordinated, and seized the mask. Tohru made off with the Talisman and an unconcious Jackie.

Jade tried to talk El Toro into helping them, but Ranma was impatient. "Jade! I'm gonna try and help Jackie. If the big guy gets out of his slump, catch up!"

At the plane, Ranma was once again impatient. He leapt onto the nose of the plane and started smacking his fists against the cockpit. Tohru reached out and grabbed him, yanking him in, intending to beat him to a pulp. Ranma's hand brushed the Talisman, and he suddenly felt his chi - which until now had been noticably dormant, much to his irritation - flare to life inside him. He punched Tohru as hard as he could.

Tohru flinched back as if hit by a truck, the convulsive jerk causing him to throw Ranma bodily from the plane. El Toro caught him mid flight, but the sudden expenditure of energy had left Ranma unconcious. When he came too, they were on their way back home, and Jade was leaning over him.

"You okay, Ranma?"

"Uhh...I think so..."

"What did you do to Tohru? He had a bucket full of vomit next to his seat in the cockpit! Eeyuck!"

"Umm...I touched the Talisman...I don't remember much after that..."

"Uncle will figure it out. Just rest for now, okay?"

Ranma nodded.

Back at the antique shop, Uncle finished some magical examinations.

"Ranma, you have a great deal of chi."

"Tell me something I don't know," ranma commented drily.

"Do not interrupt Uncle!" When Ranma fell silent, Uncle continued. "However, it is not focused as one would expect from a martial artist. I would not reccomend utilizing any chi techniques you have learned in such training, as they will exhaust you." Ranma nodded. "However, your chi responded when you touched the Talisman. I believe your chi was able to...mimic the Talisman's magic. If this is the case from a single touch, then you have natural talent as a chi wizard. However," he said when Ranma got excited, "you are much to young for training! Continue with meditation and martial arts training under Jackie. If you do well, I may see fit to let you read the books I have, so you can learn to focus your chi towards magic."

"Hai, Sensei," Ranma said. He was lost in thought for a time after that. He'd never had a talent for magic. Why now?

-A fresh start, free of old troubles...-

That girl's voice came back to him, the words she'd said when he accepted the jewel he wore around his neck. Is this what she had meant? Was he changed so much? 


	3. The Escape

3. The Escape

Ranma packed up his stuff at the Tendo Dojo. His father was up in his face. "Ranma! What do you mean you are leaving? I am your father, and I decide what is best for-"

"Stuff it, Pops!" Ranma snarled. "Just stuff it!"

At 18, Ranma had had it with everything that had happened in Nerima. The multiple engagements, the curse, the cat fist, the people trying to kill him, his father's not caring...he still had to hide from his mother because of the curse and that stupid seppuku pledge! He'd had enough!

"I am out of here, and no one is going to stop me, you understand!" Not waiting for an answer, he slung his pack over his shoulder. Genma blocked his path. "Move, old man!"

"Now see here, Ranma-"

Ranma grabbed his father by the front of his gi and tossed him over his shoulder. "You had your chance!" He stormed out.

By this point, everyone else knew Ranma wasn't taking any more. They stayed out of his way as he left the Tendo dojo. Once he was outside, his headaches tried to chase him in the form of Ryoga, Mousse, Kuno, Kodachi, and Happosai, but Ranma was sick and tired of dealing with them. He turned and ran as fast as his legs would carry him.

He ran from Nerima, and all it represented.

He ran from the fiances who wouldn't treat him like a person.

He ran from a father who didn't care about him.

He ran from the mother he would never truely know.

He ran from a lonely existence, with no friends.

He ran until he could run no more, having left everyone far behind.

Out in the forest, Ranma had set up camp. He was just getting ready to start cooking his dinner when an old woman staggered into the camp, clutching something.

"Are you alright?" Ranma asked.

The old woman shook her head. "The medicine...I must get the medicine to Astel...she is ill..."

Ranma recognized what she was saying. He put his pack on his pack and set the woman on top. "Which way?"

"That way..." she pointed weakly. Ranma set off at a careful trot, doing his best not to jostle the woman.

As the directions changed several times, Ranma felt a building force of magic. He had learned to sense it, although not as well as the Amazon's could, but this force built so strong it filled the air.

Finally, they reached a small hut. The old woman hopped down and ran inside. Ranma turned to go, but an old man stuck his head out. "Wait!" he called. "Young man, won't you join us for dinner, as thanks for helping Astel?"

The mention of dinner worked it's usual magic on Ranma. He went inside.

After a very filling meal, Ranma was starting tofeel drowsy. Then the old woman stepped out of a side room. "Astel is better for the medicine. She would speak to you young man."

Ranma nodded, deciding to humor the woman.

Inside the room, a pale young girl - no older than 6, if Ranma was any guess - was propped up on a group of pillows. "I understand I have you to thank for the medicine getting to me?"

Ranma nodded. "It was no problem. Really."

She nodded. "You seek total abandonment of everything you were, but you hold on to your honor, seeking to aid those who need it, without thought to yourself. You are everything I thought you were, Ranma Saotome."

He flinched. "How do you know my name?"

"The same way I know what you seek...and how you can acheive it." She opened a box in her lap. "I am a seer, and I know you wish to start your life afresh. I offer you a chance to live your life over, live it right." She lifted a strangely faceted jewel on a chain from the box. "THis is a Fatejewel. With this, one may turn back time itself, and live a new life in a new world. The magic, however, will only last until you catch yourself up, as it were. This Jewel is not as strong as some, and will only turn Time back by seven years...but it will be seven years you will be free of your father, a chance to grow up right."

Ranma stared at her. "Why offer me this?"

"Because you deserve it. Your life has been hell itself, and yet you still try to help others. You deserve a better destiny than that which has been thrust upon you. I offer you the chance to write your own...as thanks for helping my grandmother get the medicine to me in time."

Ranma stared at the Fatejewel. A chance to start over, live how he wanted to live, not how someone said he should live...

He took the Jewel and hung it around his neck. "So how do I make it work?" The Jewel started to glow.

Astel smiled. "It already has." Ranma's vision went white.

Ranma woke up. That dream came to him sometimes, since he came to San Fransisco. A reminder of how he got there, he supposed.

He looked around the apartment. Jackie and Jade were both in their rooms, still asleep this early. He glanced towards the dresser.

It was a heavy thing. It would take all three of them to shift it, but...

He went over to it, got his hands under it, and tried to lift. It didn't budge. He thought for a time. He focused on the memory of the power that flooded him when he'd touched the Talisman...

Power started to flood him as his chi reacted, but he clamped down on it, drawing it forth gradually. Carefully, he drew forth only enough to lift the dresser over his head, then set it down gently.

Control, that was the key, according to Uncle. He would learn control, something he'd never mastered in his old life.

Maybe he could never belong here. Maybe he would eventually return to his own world. But for now...he would make the most of his life. He would learn control, not just of his abilities, but of himself.

His body would be as strong as it needed to be. It was his mind he needed to train, if he was to become more than he was.

He glanced towards Jade's room. They had become fast friends. He was happy for her friendship, but wondered why he felt drawn to her. He shelved these thoughts, and returned to his bed. Assuming another Talisman wasn't discovered, he would think about this more in the morning. 


	4. Joining the Hunt 2: Snake and Viper

4. Joining the Hunt 2 - Snake and Viper

Ranma and Jade climbed up into the cavern, looking around. "So, where do you think Jackie is?" Jade asked her friend.

"Right behind us," Ranma said without preamble.

Jackie glared down at the two explorers. "You two are supposed to be back at the hotel."

"Sure," Jade said. "Limit our exposure to other cultures. Stifle our educational potential."

Ranma smirked. He had a better arguement in store, once it was time to drop it.

"Jade, I am only trying to stifle your potential to be harmed. What if the Dark Hand were here too, looking for the Snake Talisman?"

"Than you haven't found it yet?" Ranma asked innocently.

"No, it's like it was invisible."

"That's why you need me here, remember? I can sense them. And I can hardly do that and 'keep Jade out of mischef' as you asked me to if I'm here and she's back at the hotel, now can I?"

Jade giggled. Jackie sighed. Suddenly they heard someone approach.

Ranma mostly ignored the interactions with Rank, as he was able to tell right off the bat he was the same sort of individual as Nabiki was, in it for anything to make a buck. Ranma focused his senses on trying to find the aura of the Talisman. He could tell it was in the area...but how was he supposed to walk through solid stone?

After a quick figth with the Dark Hand, Ranma had ignored the bit about the drawing, but followed when Jade and Jackie left. When they had to get the tape back from Rank, he proved most useful in retrieving it from under Rank's pillow. He wasn't exactly pleased with using those skills, but if that's what it took...

As Jackie paced out in the forest after exmining the video, he speculated. "Why does the snake bite its own tail?"

"And why did it feel like the Talisman was through solid stone?" Ranma asked, still trying to make sense of things.

Jackie figured it out, and tried to send the kids back to the hotel, but Ranma spoke up. "You're going to send two 11-year old kids through a jungle in the middle of the night, alone, with bad guys on the loose who would be more than happy to ransom for the Talisman, which I understand they did once already?"

Jackie blinked for a few times. "Right. Stay close."

Jade giggled.

Once inside the Temple, Jade and Ranma stayed down below, watching as Jackie scaled to the top. Ranma muttered something about missing magic, since he could have helped if he'd learned to mimic what he'd been told the Rooster Talisman did. When Rank snatched the falling Talisman out of the air, both Ranma and Jade expressed their dispproval with their fists. Ranma aimed a little lower than Jade did, though and only threw one punch. Somehow, his message was clearer.

"Oww..." Rank said in a high pitched whimper. "Edit that out."

After managing to escape the Temple, and Culibra Gigante itself, it became clear that Rank had gotten away with the Talisman. When they saw his show on TV, they learned that he had been 'dealt with' and that the Talisman was in a museum in New york. They set off to retrieve it.

At the museum during the night, Chan was shocked to find Jade AND Ranma waiting for him inside. "What are you two doing here?" He looked at Jade. "I told you you couldn't come with!"

Jade smirked. "Didn't say anything about following."

Frustrated, he turned on Ranma. "I told you to keep an eye on her!"

Ranma smirked. "I am."

Jackie growled in frustration. Then he sighed at the futility. "Just stay close."

During the fight between Jackie and the female thief, Ranma spoke up. "Jackie, whoever that is went into another area of the museum. She's not with the dark hand!"

"But she's so cool!" Jade said. Jackie stared at her. "I mean...go Jackie!"

On the way out, Ranma realized the bags had been swapped before they'd made it too far as he felt the Talisman's magic moving away. "Jackie! We got the wrong bags!"

"What?" Looking inside, he saw it was true, set the kids down, and raced back...only to get arrested.

Jade had slipped out the Puma.

Later, at the prison, Jade and Ranma visited Jackie. Jade tried to talk to Jackie in code, but he didn't get it. Ranma told Jackie that he had a good sense of the Talisman's exact location relative to him, and a swap might be possible...especially if they could manage a double bind, and clear Jackie's name in the process.

Unfortunately, at the swap, Viper managed to pull it on them, leaving Ranma frustrated and Jade disilussioned.

They managed to catch up to Viper at the parade. Ranma decided to follow at a distance, in case anyone fell from the floats.

When the Talisman fell from the top of the Statue of Liberty, Ranma managed to position himself to catch it. A quick call on a cell phone, and Jackie's name was cleared for the theft of the Pink Puma, once it was returned, and the theft was pinned on the dark hand.

On the way back home, Jackie kept glancing at Ranma nervously. "What?" Ranma finally asked nervously.

"You can mimic the power of the Talisman's you touch, right?"

"Yeah," Ranma said, "but it's very draining. I'm not likely to do it outside of an emergency."

"Oh. That's a relief." Jackie tunred away, not noticing the wink Ranma and Jade exchanged. 


	5. Joining the Hunt 3: Sheep, Rabbit

5. Joining the Hunt 3 - Sheep, Rabbit

Upset that Jackie wasn't taking her to Melvin World right away, Jade decided to find out the power of the Sheep Talisman the easy way. Pinching it from the magic box, she took it upstaris to Ranma. "Hey, Ranma? DO you need to know what power a Talisman has to mimic it?"

"Haven't yet...oh no!" He started shaking his head. "No no no no no, I am not playing guinea pig for magic rocks."

"Ranma, please!" She gave him cute begging eyes. "If we figure it out safely, then Jackie can get his nap and we both get to go to Melvin World! Please, Ranma!"

Ranma had never been able to resist a girl begging, so he wound up acquiescing. "Alright, alright..." he grabbed her hand. "But whatever it is, we do it together. I ain't getting horribly transformed alone."

"Wait, what?" Jade tried to pull away as Ranma seized the Talisman. There was a flash of light.

They were both floating over their bodies. "Woah," Jade said, freaked out. "We're ghosts! We're dead!"

Ranma shook his astral head. "I can still feel my body, and it's alive. THis is Astral Projection. Very advanced masters of Meditation are supposed to be able to achieve this - projecting the soul from the body."

Jade smirked in her Astral body. "Is this draining you much?"

Ranma shook his head. "No. A breif drain at the start, but then no more."

"Then how about we have some fun with this?"

"We really shouldn't..." Jade gave him begging eyes. "Oh, sure, whatever. Just so you know, we can only interact with sleeping people and other prjected spirits. No one else will see us, and we'll phase through anything else."

"How do you know so much?" Jade asked curiously.

Ranma paused in thought. "I...I don't know."

Jade shrugged. "We'll ask Uncle later. For now, let's have fun!"

They ghosted out.

Later, when the Talisman had fallen into Shendu's possesion, he came into the building, seeking to posess a body. "Hmm...the boy will probably be more useful than the girl..." Shendu attempted to posess Ranma's body.

Ranma's body suddenly flared with blue lightning, cascading over him. Shendu screamed as the lightning burned into his Astral form. It took all his strength to follow the tie back to his own body. He kenw it would be a long time before he could project again...and he wouldn't try to posess the boy again.

*That chi...it felt inimical to me...but that would only be in the case of a holy man...or a mighty good chi wizard, or...one of the immortals.* SHendu pondered the last thought. *No, it cannot be...I am just being paranoid. That prophecy is a fallacy.*

"Back so soon, Shendu?" Valmont asked.

"The old man had stronger protections against demonic interference than I had anticipated. It would not be prudent to attempt another such transferance. I shall simply have to count on you to retrieve the remaining talismans."

Meanwhile, Jade and Ranma returned to their bodies. Ranma had a sort of phantom pain inside him, but he ignored it, concerned about the absence of the Talisman. "Uncle is going to throw a fit when he finds out about this! The Dark Hand got the Talisman!"

"Wait!" Jade said quickly. "You can sense the Talismans, right?"

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, even better once I've used them."

"Track this one, then!"

Ranma closed his eyes, focusing. An image filled his mind: Valmont and the other Dark Hand thugs, surrounding a statue. The sheep talisman in the statue, but crisscrossed with blue lightning, sealed and unusable.

Ranma's eyes opened. "Okay, we can go report to Uncle."

Going downstairs, Ranma spoke. "Uncle, I've got good news, bad news, and good news."

"Alright," Uncle said, turning away from the texts. "What is your news?"

"The Sheep Talisman has the power of Astral Projection, confirmed by use."

"I see. That is quite useful to know. But what other news do you-"

"While testing it, the Dark Hand was able to take it from my unguarded body."

"Aiyah! With this power, they can-"

"Do nothing. I'm not sure how, but somehow some of my chi bonded to the Talisman, sealing it against use. Short of an overpowering application of antithetical chi, it should be unusable by anyone but me."

Uncle thought for a time. He still didn't understand everything of how Ranma's chi worked, but this sounded like a defensive magic cast instinctively when someone tried to posess his body. "Ranma...when you returned to your body...were there any unusual physical sensations?"

"A sort of phantom pain inside, yeah."

Uncle nodded. "They tried to posess your body, and your chi worked an instinctive defensive magic, sealing the Talisman's power. Well, that is one Talisman we no longer need to worry about." He turned back to the shop. "I will research locations of other talismans."

Ranma turned to Jackie. "I'm...sorry I lost the Talisman, Jackie."

"It's okay. No one can use it now, so I can sleep..."

"But Jackie!" Jade complained. "What about Melvin World?"

"When I wake up, Jade..."

"Jackie!" Uncle shouted. "Sweep shop!"

"I'll handle it," Ranma said, taking the broom.

While Ranma was sweeping, Jade spoke to him. "Ranma, it was my idea. Why'd you take all the blame?"

"Because I'm the one who did it. That makes me responsible. Besides, friends don't snitch."

Jade smiled. "Thanks."

After Jackie's nap, he took Ranma and Jade to Melvin World. They enjoyed it immensely.

After the incident with the Sheep Talisman, Ranma decided that having a few more mystic abilities would be useful in dealing with the hunt. As such, he snuck his way into the vault that night, following Captain Black on his usual rounds to check up on things. While Captain Black wasn't looking, Ranma hopped down from the celeing, touched the Rooster Talisman, and floated back to the room invisibly. Completely drained, he fell into unconciousness.

Unfortunately, this left Ranma almost catatonic the following morning. Uncle, understanding what was going on with his magic, wrote him a note, excusing him from school. When Ranma woke up, it was late that night, and he sensed a talisman active. He decided to investigate, so he followed his senses.

He reached the docks just as Jackie finished dealing with Tohru, and heard him calling otu to Jade. "WHere's Jade?" Ranma demanded, fear in his voice.

Jackie pointed to the sailing boat. "She went to save the tortoise!"

Staring out, Ranma cursed with words much too adult for his age. "Even with the magic of the rooster, I can't make it out there fast enough!"

"Fast?" Jackie held out the rabbit Talisman. "This one grants speed. If you-"

Ranma didn't wait. He grabbed the talisman. Blue light shone from his eyes. He blurred, and was gone.

Carl Nivore was just saying to Boris, "She will go well with a nice burnay sauce, wouldn't you say, Boris?"

As Jade gasped, the side of the ship suddenly caved in as Ranma busted through. "Let her go," he said, floating there, blue lightning sparking around his body, his eyes glowing.

"Hmm," Carl said. "Now this might be an interesting delica-"

"In three seconds I'll rip your heart out," Ranma said flatly. "You can eat that!"

Boris suddenly floated into the air and flew across the room. Jade floated up to Ranma. "Wait!" she said. "What about Aesop?"

Ranma nodded, and they blurred to the tortoise. Ranma slumped across him, his energy spent. THe talisman fell from his hand. Grabbing it, Jade shoved it into the shell, and they rode Aesop back to shore.

Both of them were excused from school the next day, when the class toured the zoo. Ranma was unable to get up due to chi exhaustion, and Jade refused to leave his side. She tended to his needs while he recovered that day. Uncle insisted Jackie write a note for both of them, and Jackie couldn't argue.

When Ranma did wake up breifly, he looked up at Jade. "You okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine."

"That's good..." he dozed off again. 


	6. Joining the Hunt 4

6. Joining the Hunt 4 - Dragon, Rat, Horse, Monkey, Dog &Pig

Ranma watched when Jade got into te fight with the bully at school - Meynard something - but didn't interfere. While he could have taken action, Jade could obviously handle herself there, and wouldn't have welcomed interference. She didn't ALWAYS need rescuing.

However, when the teacher asked what was going on, he did rush to explain the complete situation - Meynard's bullying, Jade's attempts at being reasonable, and Meynard's attempted attack, followed by Jade laying him out. Jade still got in trouble, and Ms. Hartman was going to talk with Jackie, but at least the trouble wouldn't be AS severe - from the school, anyway.

When Ranma noticed Jackie starting to lose control of himself over Captain Black's condition, he became concerned, but knew there wasn't much he could do. After all, he was only 11. Jackie wouldn't listen to him. But when he went after Valmont at Fort Knox, Ranma decided he had to tag along, as did Jade.

He wasn't able to do much at Fort Knox, as much of the fight went on around him. He tried to avoid using to much of his magic, in case he needed it. He didn't want to miss any more school, so he mostly played the part of distraction. He was very good at it.

Ranma was unable to participate in the events surrounding the Rat Talisman, as he had to catch up on his homework and other assignments missed while 'home sick'. He did this at Uncle's shop, under his supervision, so as not to disturb Jackie with his broken leg. Later, once the Rat Talisman was recovered a second time, he was able to make contact with it, learning to mimic it's magic, although he discovered that the drain was proportionate to the size of the object animated, the distance it was from him, the number of objects he animated, and the length of time it was animated for. For a lot of small things nearby, it was bearable, but one large thing would drain him quite rapidly.

Ranma's ability to analyze the magic of the Talismans proved quite useful when Jackie was poisoned, as knowing ahead of time that the Horse Talisman was the healer allowed them to purge the stone poison from his body without seeking the antidote from the Dark Hand.

For Career Day, Ranma decided to do his report on Uncle, who while in class, went on and on and on about antiques and ancient artifacts and myths and magic. He also spoke volumes about knowing how to defend oneself, and self control, and how careful one needed to be when handling antiques.

Ranma did a report on the day he spent helping Uncle out at the antique shop, learning to read the ancient tomes and restore the old antiques, translating ancient runes.

Later, he heard from Jade about the hectic problems she'd had retrieving the Monkey Talisman, and wished he'd been able to go with her.

Since it was Uncle's birthday, Ranma had worked hard at getting him a good present. Knowing Uncle's passion for rare books, he had looked through his posessions and found an old tome that he'd picked up in his old life, one he'd never been able to read. He left it in Uncle's library on his desk, with a note saying, "Happy Birthday!"

Uncle picked it up, pleased. "Aiyah! I have been looking for this book! Ranma, where did you find it?"

Ranma shrugged. "I just stumbled across it a while back. Picked it up cause I didn't want to leave it to dissolve. Never could read it, though, and I know your passion for books..."

"It is a book of prophecies of the ancient world! Only three copies were ever made! This is a priceless gift!" He went looking for a place in the library to put it.

Jade smiled at Ranma. "Good job! At least one of us was able to give him a Happy Birthday!"

Ranma rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed.

When the time came to head to Bavaria, Ranma sensed the magic active in Uncle, and knew he was using the Talisman. However, Uncle looked so happy, he didn't have the heart to tell him to stop.

When Uncle showed Jade and Ranma that he was using the Talisman, Jade was excited. Ranma just smiled. He understood the desire to recapture what was lost. After all, that's what brought him here. Although he could sense where the Pig Talisman was located, he decided not to say anything yet. He was enjoying the time here, and wanted to make the most of it.

Once the Talisman was succesfully retrieved, Uncle, under Jackie's insistence gave up the Dog Talisman.

Back at the shop, he read the book of prophecy, and stumbled across one that...concerned him. It spoke of the Immortal Weapons...and a Knight that would rise to change the world. The text was old, and it would take some time to translate, but he felt it was important.

Something bothered him, though. How had Ranma just stumbled across this book, and why did it naturally fall open to this prophecy? Historically, these things were usually of some significance...coincidences didn't happen in magic... 


	7. The End of the Hunt: Tiger Meets Dragon

7. The End of the Hunt - Tiger Meets Dragon

-  
"English"  
"Japanese"  
*Thoughts*  
-Unspoken words-  
-

At the county fair, Ranma decided to enter the pie eating contest. While he had to search for the Talisman, he had also discovered a couple of things about his magic that he thought would make the pie eating contest good training. First, he had discovered that the more he used his magic, the more he was able to use before conking out. Second, he had learned to have his magic draw from caloric energy, rather than his chi reserves, which prevented the black outs but made him hyper metabolic.

To his mind, this made eating contests ideal ways to strengthen his mystic reserves, with application of rabbit magic! Once the contest began, he had gone through 5 pies in 3 seconds...and he still managed to enjoy the taste!

By the time the Talisman was found, Ranma had devoured his way through 80 pies, and still had energy to burn and got them away from Tohru at Rabbit speed!

Although Ranma had touched the Talisman before handing it over to Uncle to research, he hadn't encountered any new magic in it as far as he could tell. That is...until the Talisman split in Jackie's hand. The magic in Ranma responded...

Jade was confused to see a red haired girl running from the shop, and even more confused to see Ranma running in the opposite direction.

At Valmont's office, he was surprised when the black haired child kicked his way through every force arrayed to protect the place. When he drew his dagger to fight, however, Shendu said, "Wait!"

Shendu stared at the boy. "You...what brings you here?"

Ranma grinned. "Power," he said, his voice chilling. "Power is all their is. I seek the magic of the dragon."

"Bring me the others, and we will consider it," Shendu said.

"You're not in a postion to make deals, you overgrown lawn ornament!" Ranma leapt forward and touched the Dragon Talisman. Black lightning sparked...but nothing else happened. Ranma cursed. "Why can't I use it?"

"The power of one is not enough, obviously," Shendu bluffed. "With all twelve..."

Meanwhile, Valmont negotiated with Jackie's dark side to retrieve the Talismans.

When Jade tried to stop Dark Jackie from taking the Talismans to Valmont, she was surprised to see Ranma helping him. "Ranma, why are you helping Dark Jackie?"

"Buzz off," Ranma said derisively.

Jade stepped back like she'd been slapped, then got in his face. "Ranma, if the Dark Hand gets-"

Ranma's hand shot out and seized Jade by the throat. "Just shut up. I want the power...and you won't stop me from getting it."

Jade struggled. She didn't know what had gotten into Ranma, but he was squeezing so hard it was getting hard to breathe...

Suddenly, a blast of fire sent Ranma falling back, and that red haired girl she saw earlier was there. "I won't let you hurt her," the girl said to Ranma.

"YOU!" Ranma snarled. "Why do you have the power I want? I touched the stone, not you!"

"You might want to check something." The girl pulled the collar of her shirt open. She was wearing identical clothing to Ranma.

Ranma looked down his own shirt, and saw the chain. He snarled. "So? I wear the Fatejewel and you don't! THat means you're just a fake!"

" No," the girl said, shaking her head. "You wear the Jewel because you are the part of us that sought escape, the part that ran away, and the part that is still trapped by the old ideals and rules of behavior. I am the part that is being crafted here...the part that is ready to change, the part that embraced the curse, and is unafraid of facing the consequences of our actions. If either of us is the fake, it is you."

Jade didn't understand the conversation, and managed to stand up. "Ranma..." she coughed to clear her throat. "What's gotten into you?"

"It's not what's gotten in," the girl said. "It's what was taken out. Jackie wasn't the only one affected by the tiger." She took a stance identical to the one Ranma was taking, but while Ranma's battle aura flared, the girl's hands glowed with magic.

Jade's eyes went wide as she stared at the girl. "You're Ranma's light side? But...you're a girl!"

She smirked. "It's a long story, Jade," girl-Ranma said.

The two Ranma's squared off...then boy-Ranma attacked. At first, it seemed they were evenly matched. Ranma made good use of chi techniques, but girl-Ranma was able to readily use magic to counter.

Finally, they leapt back. "This isn't over!" male Ranma yelled. He charged forward and knocked both Jackie's over, grabbing the tackle box and Jade and leaping across buildings towards Valmont.

Jade was tied up in Valmont's office. There wasn't much in the way of defenses left after Ranma's first assault, so it wouldn't take long for anyone following to get there.

Valmont put the Talisman's inot Shendu, and demanded the location of the other half.

Ranma urned towards Jade. "I think SOMEONE knows where the other half is..." He started to walk towards her slowly.

Jade gulped. THis side of Ranma was scary. Something in his eyes filled her mind with frightening images. "Ranma, come on...you don't want to hurt me...I'm your friend..."

"Friend?" He chuckled. "Friends are the ones who hurt you the most. Didn't you know that?" He pulled back a fist.

Meanwhile, girl-Ranma and the two Jackies had made a rather rapid trip through the defenders. The humans weren't able to do much, and the shadow kahn vanished when touched by the lightning that sparked around girl-Ranma.

Girl-Ranma charged through the door in time to catch the fist. "I told you...I won't let you hurt her!" The fight started again, and the hectic nature of the battle caused Jade's shoe to come off, sending the Talisman half skittering. Valmont seized it, slamming it into Shendu.

THe Jackie's and Ranma's merged again. Ranma staggered over and untied Jade. "Jade, I'm so sorry-"

"It's okay, you weren't yourself," she responded quickly. When they made it out of this, she needed to ask Ranma a LOT of questions. She stared as the statue came to life. Make that if.

"I LIVE!" 


	8. Duel with a Dragon

8. Duel with a Dragon

Shendu stepped forth from the statue he once was, staring down at the humans before him. Valmont stepped forward, eager for his payment. But Shendu ignored him. As he saw it, Ranma had brought him the Talismans, and Valmont was owed nothing, since it was Shendu himself who had recruited Ranma's dark side.

And speaking of Ranma, the child interested him. In truth, the boy's nature worried Shendu, but he wasn't about to admit that. Stepping forward, he seized the exhausted Ranma in one massive claw. Jackie attempted to prevent him, but was blasted away, along with Jade.

On seeing Jade in danger, Ranma began to struggle. Blue lightning arced weakly across his body. Shendu howled in pain, then struck Ranma lightly on the head. He fell unconcious, the lightning vanishing.

Shendu stared at his hand where the lightning had touched him. He was scarred! The scorch marks from the lightning weren't healing. That confirmed it, there was only one power in this world that could circumvent the power of the Talismans. "The Prophecy..." he muttered.

At this point, Valmont sicced Tohru on Shendu. Shendu lacked patience for dramatics at this point, and simply backhanded Tohru away. The rest of the Dark Hand fled.

Jackie attempted to rescue Ranma again, but was forced to flee from the fires. At this point Jade got Captain Black up there, hoping he could help Ranma. Unfortunately, he got there just in time to see Shendu fly off with him.

Jade stared after the demon. She didn't know what Shendu was planning, but she knew she had to help Ranma.

Needless to say, she was very put out when Jackie had no intention of taking her with. Although she tried to convince him, he said she was getting too emotional, and wasn't thinking clearly. He couldn't allow her to put herself in such danger.

When Shendu reached his palace, he opened the portal to the realm of his serants large enough to reach through. hen he shook Ranma awake.

"I know what you are, even if you do not," he said to the child viciously. "However, that is one Prophecy I will not allow to come to pass!" With that, he shoved Ranma through the portal. There was a brief human scream, followed by an animal scream, and the screams of several of Shendu's dragon minions...screams of pain. Confused, Shendu pulled Ranma out of the portal.

Ranma glared at him, snarling, clawing at him with his fingers, his chi shaping claws that could cut through steel.

"Ah," Shendu said, intruiged. "So someone trained you in the Neko Ken, did they? How delightful. It seems your magic uses it as a sheild against further trauma, now that your as strong in it as you are. A pity for you it opens the door to my power!" Shendu's eyes glowed as he used another power of the sheep.

While this power wasn't one of his favourite's, as while activating it left him defenseless and was too easily fought off by one who was in their right mind, in this situation, it was perfect. After a moment, Ranma's struggles ceased, and his eyes glowed red.

Shendu dropped him, and Ranma landed on all fours, skulking around Shendu like a watch dog.

When Jackie leaped, intending to pull Talismans out of Shendu, Ranma attacked him, knocking him back. "What the- Ranma? What are you doing?"

Ranma snarled, prowling around Jackie. Shendu turned, laughing. "I anticipated intrusion, but I had no idea it would be you, Jackie Chan. You have as many lives as a cat! Perhaps it is only fitting that one trapped in a cat's mind leave you bereft of yours!"

"WHat did you do to Ranma?" Jackie demanded.

"It is not what I did to him...someone else left this madness inside of him. I just make use of it. Right now, when he looks at you, he cannot understand you, and he sees one he hates with all his being! Don't think you can snap him otu of it."

Ranma paced, snarling at Jackie. In his altered madness, he saw a fat, balding man wearing a head cloth. Where Jackie stood, Ranma saw his father, the one who put him through hell and back. He wanted blood. Ranma leaped.

Jackie attempted to evade, but Ranma changed direction in mid-air, slamming into him. Shendu laughed. "Did I mention that this has left him in a berserker state? He will fight until he drops dead! Your choice, Chan! Allow yourself to fall to the boy...or continue to resist, and cause his death by mystical exhaustion!" Laughing, Shendu sat back against a wall, watching the fight and the portal, carefully expanding it.

Jade arrived at about that point, as the potion Uncle had made fell out of Jackie's jacket. Picking it up, she thought to do something to help...but Jackie suddenly went flying past her, badly cut up, and Ranma stood in front of her.

Jade backed up slowly. "Ranma, it's me, Jade. I came to help you! You are in there...aren't you?"

Ranma snarled, slowly advancing. The madness and Shendu's spell made him see Akane Tendo before him, and he advanced slowly. He would not be dissuaded.

"Ranma..." Jade fell backwards onto her butt as Ranma was braced over her, one hand raised to strike. "Please..." Tears of fear began to fall, and she shut her eyes.

As Ranma was about to strike, his nose twitched. He sniffed the air. Shendu had forgotten something very important in crafting his spell: in the madness, Ranma thought like a cat, and to cats, SCENT was far more important than SIGHT, and he knew Jade's scent.

Jade was suprised to feel something brush gently against her face. Opening her eyes, she saw Ranma nuzzling her, and when he pulled back, the red glow was gone from his eyes. "Mrow?" he said gently, before nuzzling her again and purring.

"What!" Shendu shouted. "Impossible! Nothing could break my spell!" He glowered, and suddenly he saw what was happening. "So...is that the way things are? Well, I will not allow the Prophecy to come to pass!" Shendu hurled a massive sphere of combustion energy...straight at Jade!

"Jade!" Jackie called out, trying to get up...but Ranma acted.

Turning, he faced the sphere...and batted it aside like a fly. Blue lightning sparked around his body, flaring with vengeful light. A stray bolt passed through the potion, and Ranma's aura suddenly glowed green. He blurred forward...and through Shendu.

Out on the other side, he turned. Five talismans were in his possesion, now: Dragon in mouth, monkey in right hand, sheep in right foot, pig in left foot, and ox in left hand. Snarling, Ox amplified pig and dragon, sending a blast of kinetic force to send Shendu flying head over tail.

Jade ran over to Ranma, placing her hands on his back. Light flared, and her hands glowed green. Smiling, she swung her self onto his back, and they blurred forward. She leapt off his back, plunging her hands into Shendu.

Jackie, taking advantage of the distraction, leaped up and plunged his hands in as well. Shendu howled.

Ranma came out the other side with the horse talisman. Jade pulled out the dog. Jackie pulled out the rat.

Shendu howled his fury as he was reverted back to statue form. He started to curse Jackie. "I will have my revenge! If it takes another 900 years!"

"You won't get that chance," Jade said calmly, picking up the Dragon talisman. "Not after what you did to Ranma." She clearly wasn't thinking about what she was doing. She just wanted to hurt Shendu...badly. Holding up the Talisman, it flared to life as vengeful fire leaped from it, blasting Shendu to pieces.

As the palace started to collapse, Ranma, still in the madness, seized Jade and Jackie and fled the grounds, escaping the collapse.

When Uncle caught up to them, Jackie was leaning against a tree, looking the worse for wear, and Ranma was curled up in Jade's lap, purring. Jade, giggling, was stroking his head.

Later, when Ranma came out of the madness, Uncle spoke with him. "You know, since we are so close to Japan, maybe you should visit your parents."

Ranma shook his head. "No one to visit."

Uncle looked concerned. "What? Your father, who trained you-"

"Dead," Ranma said flatly.

Uncle shook his head. "But surely your mother?"

Ranma sighed. "I suppose I would enjoy visiting her...if I knew who she was, or where she lived...or even what she looked like."

Uncle stared at Ranma. "You...have no home to go back to?"

Ranma shook his head.

Uncle placed his hand on Ranma's shoulder. "Well, we can't have that, now can we? I will talk to Captain Black, and he will help with the paperwork, and then you can make your home at my shop. It will be good having young hands there." He smiled. "I never had a chance to have a son of my own: I would be pleased and honored to call you thus...if you like."

Ranma looked up at Uncle, tears in his eyes. He threw his arms around Uncle. "Thanks...Dad," Ranma said, trying the word out.

End Season 1 


	9. Here we go Again

9. Here we go Again

Ranma settled into Uncle's shop rather easily. With Uncle's permission, he began reading through some of the old tomes of magic in the library, although he didn't experiment. He knew how dangerous magic could be.

When he heard Jackie and Jade were planning on moving back into the shop, at first he was excited. He would be happy to have Jade nearby. He liked her, she was a good friend. He had to admit Uncle's point was valid, though. There really wasn't room.

Meanwhile, in the demon Netherworld, Shendu's siblings were ready to begin his eternal torment...but as a spirit, he had an extra ace. "Wait! We must not fight, my brothers and sisters!" he souted desperately.

"And why not, brother?" Tso Lan asked curiously. "Tell us, why shouldn't we begin your eternal torment?"

"Because the Prophecy of Lu Dongbin is coming to pass!"

The Demon Sorcerers flinched backwards. "Do not speak so lightly of such things, Shendu," Bai Tsa snapped. "Unless you have proof!"

"I have encountered the vessel of the prophecy...and been scarred by his magic, with wounds that my Talismans would not heal. Look!" He twisted his astral body, to show where he was still scarred from his attempt to posess Ranma.

The Demon Sorcerers muttered about this for a time. "This is indeed quite serious," Xiang Tsu said at last. "This prophecy cannot be allowed to come to pass!"

"And," Shendu said, oily smooth, "as a spirit, I am in a perfect position to act to prevent it. Should I pass through to the Earthly realm, I may posess a human vessel to enact freeing you! And then, together you will have the strength to destroy the child before he matures! hat is, if you will allow it," he said, servile in the extreme.

The demon sorcerers cast their spell on their brother. "You are tricky Shendu. Our spell will bind you to the human of your choosing, until our release, so that we know exactly where to find you, should we decide to continue your torment."

"Very well," Shendu said. "I will choose my cessel well."

Jade watched as Jackie began to pursue the Dark Hand thugs from her vantage point. She prepared to follow.

"What are you doing?"

"Wah!" Jade nearly fell, patting her chaest. "You scared me Ranma! How did you-"

Ranma smiled.

"Never mind," Jade said, shaking her head. "Why are you up here?"

"I'm here to help." He clung to the back of the jetpack. "It's easier to amplify an object magically then use the magic on myself...especially if the properties are a natural part of the object."

Jade nodded, and took off, on a now magically enhanced jet pack. Catching up to Jackie, she picked him up. "Need a lift?"

Jackie looked up at Jade. "I told you never to play with things you don't know how to-"

Jade pointed out the controls. "Ignition, steering, throttle, brakes."

Ranma smiled over her shoulder. "You really shouldn't be surprised at this point."

Jackie grunted, then pointed. "Faster."

"On it," Ranma said, activating the rabbit.

Once they caught up with the truck, Ranma hopped off onto it with Jackie. "Stay with Jade!" Jackie shouted at him.

"Can't! Low on chi!" Ranma shouted back. "I can replenish if I get my hands on one of the Talismans, though."

Unfortunately, Ranma was weaker than he anticipated, and wound up falling off the truck once it passed through the tunnel. Jade managed to catch him. "We really should stop meeting like this," she joked.

Once the truck crashed, she set him down near the fight. As such, he had a clear view of the entire goings on...and saw when Shendu's spirit possessed Valmont. Getting up, he headed to where Jade was caught on a branch. "Jade!" he called up. "I'll catch you!"

She disconnected herself from the jet pack and fell. Ranma used a little of the chi he had left to activate his Levitation spell, slowing her fall. He caught her easily, but then collapsed from exhaustion. "Shendu...is back..." he mumbled, meaning to warn Jade, but it was too quiet for her to hear.

Jade was tending to Ranma in his exhaustion when Shendu - possessing Valmont - made his assault on the antique shop. After seeing Tohru get flung like a rag doll, she hid Ranma under his bed and watched carefully, slowly making her way towards a phone. She knew Ranma would try to fight back if he knew, but was in no condition to.

Praying help made it in time, Jade called Jackie. 


	10. Answers, Quests, and Prophecy

10. Answers, Quests, and Prophedy

"Over here."

Ranma walked along a strangely lit stone path. It seemed to progress into infinity in every direction. He followed the voice.

"No, this way."

Turning, he went in the direction he was being called, running to try and get there faster.

"Up here, Dummy."

He looked up. His female form leaped out of a tree that hadn't been there a moment ago. He backed up.

She smiled. "There's no need to be afraid. Nothing can hurt you in your own mind."

Ranma glanced around. "My own mind, huh?" He chuckled. "Explains why it's so empty here."

She laughed. "Self-depreciating humor...maybe you are growing up, after all."

Ranma looked at her. "But that doesn't explain you."

"Sure it does. Think about it for a bit. There's all this space, use it for something."

Ranma thought. "Well...last time you were seperate from me, you were my light side because of the Tiger Talisman...is it something like that?"

She nodded. "Very good. Yes, it is something like that. You see...after that event, you realized that you couldn't grow up healthy having an adult mind in a child's body...even if it was an immature one. So you used the magic of the tiger to seperate yourself internally. You are the child who never got the chance to grow up right. I am the adult perspective that will give you guidance without corrupting you. Since I'm no longer chained by the preconceptions you were saddled with, I can see things much clearer. Since you are no longer saddled with me, you can live much more freely."

Ranma blinked for a time. "Oh." He thought about this. "THis means I don't have access to my chi techniques like the Chestnut Fist, the Hiryu Shoten Ha, and the Moko Takabisha any more, right?"

She laughed. "Bingo! Got it in one! YOu are good at this thinking when you put your mind to it. But now, it is time to wake up."

The last two words seemed to be in Jade's voice...

"Ranma, wake up." Jade was nudging him gently. "Uncle wants you to help him with inventory. I tried to tell him to let you sleep, but he was insistent. You know how he can get."

Ranma blinked a few times. "I'm up, I'm up." He sat up. "Yeah...I know how Uncle can be...why inventory?" His mind raced. "Shendu! He's back, posessing Valmont, and he stole a book, didn't he?"

Jade nodded. "Got it in one, Ranma." She helped him to his feet. "I would suggest getting cleaned up, but..."

"Ranma!" Uncle shouted. "Come help with inventory!"

"Coming!" Ranma shouted. Turning to Jade, he smiled. "Thanks." He ran to help.

Later, when Jade's "backup" reached the shop, Ranma got out just as Uncle was asking, "If he is not a burglar, then why is he wearing a mask?"

"Because he's Lucha Libre," Ranma said, rushing out. "You know, Uncle, Mexican Wrestling. They never remove their masks, it's a matter of honor. The mask is their identity more than their own face."

"Si," El Toro confirmed. "Jade said in her call you were in need of assistance?" Then Tohru stepped out. "You! Dark Hand enemy!"

Ranma wasn't about to let them fight each other, though. "No, wait! He's reformed, he's a friend now!" Since El Toro was plainly blinded by his charge, Ranma settled for the magic solution, and levitated him off the ground.

"Wha...what magic is this?" El Toro demanded.

"Mine. I learned to mimic the magic of the Talismans. Now listen! Tohru terminated his employment with the Dark Hand some months back. He's worked here ever since."

Tohru nodded. "Ranma speaks the truth."

El Toro glanced around nervously. "Sorry."

When Viper showed up as well, Jackie was rather displeased with Jade's enthusiasm. WHile they were arguing, Ranma went to help Uncle with the inventory. He knew how this would go. As soon as they learned which book was stolen, Uncle and Jackie would head off, leaving Tohru with instructions to tend the shop and watch Jade. Jade would head off with the rest of the team, forcing Tohru to go with, leaving someone else - probably Captain Black, given his new interest in magic - to tend the shop. Ranma figured he'd tag along, to try and keep Jade out of trouble.

-You just don't want Paco being to close to Jade without you there,- his adult voice said in his mind.

*Do not,* he responded.

-Come on, admit it. The way they argue like that makes you jealous.-

*I am not jealous,*he snarled in his mind.

-Are too.-

*Am not.*

-Are, too.-

*Am not!*

His internal debate was interrupted by the discovery of which book was missing. The events he had predicted followed exactly as predicted.

Once they were in Tibet, however, exhaustion began to creep up on him. He had never travelled well, as he had tended to get airsick. He hadn't realised that every time they had flown since he had acquired the Horse technique that he had subconciously been using it to eliminate the air sickness. By the time they landed he was fast asleep. TOhru carried him to where they were staying.

Ranma was rudely awakened - along with Jade and Paco - when a bed was thrown through their wall. When they saw that the Dark Hand thugs had the Talismans still, there were a variety of reactions.

Jade said, "Woah."

Paco stared.

Ranma suddenly clutched his head and screamed. There was something nearby...something that pulled at his chi...

"Ranma!" Jade shouted, running to his side.

As the fight went on, Ranma's scream awoke Shendu. He headed out with the thugs after the artifact.

Ranma, meanwhile, suddenly seized Jade's arm. "We have to go," he said urgently. "I know what Valmont is after...and we have to get there first!"

Jade nodded. "Should be no problem," Jade said. "After all, a little Rabbit speed from you, and-"

"I can't use my magic this close to it! I don't know why."

Jade looked shocked. "Then we'd better run." Picking Ranma up on her back, she gestured to Paco to follow. "Just tell me where to go."

They got there just ahead of the Dark Hand. The walls seemed to react to Ranma's presence, and slid open. They came upon the Panku box. "That's it?" Jade asked. "That's what Shendu is after?"

"We can't...let him get a hold of it!" Ranma clutched his head. The presence of the box pulled at his chi in ways he didn't know how to handle.

Then the Dark hand arrived. Jade tried to make a quick getaway with the box, but was caught by levitation. "Exterminate the pests," Shendu ordered. "Permanently."

Ranma's eyes flew open. They glowed blue. "NO!" he shouted. Blue lightning sparked from his body, and he lunged. The force of his lunge tumbled Fin and Chao, and he then flew bodily into Valmont. Shendu screamed in pain as the blue lightning tore even at his spirit inside Valmont.

Right at that point, the others arrived. Shendu sent Ranma flying with a quick blast of magic, and the fight began in earnest. Ranma, unfortunately, was completely expended, and the presence of the box still caused him pain. Shendu had noticed, however, that the box had reacted to Ranma's blue lightning chi, and had growled in frustration.

In the end, the J Team recovered the Talismans...but the Dark Hand got away with the Panku box. When they learned what it was for, they understood just how badly they had messed up. Jade helped Ranma to his feet.

On the flight home, while Ranma recuperated, Jade talked with Uncle. "Uncle...why did Ranma's chi react to the box? And why did the box react to him?"

Uncle gasped, and pulled out a book. It was the one Ranma had given him, the book of Prophecy. He turned to the page that had concerned him. "It begins to make sense now..."

"What? What does it say?"

"See this part?" Uncle asked, pointing to four lines written in a different script from the rest. "The text is in the written form of a language as old as time itself...one that has not been spoken since before the dawn of known language!"

Jade gasped. She knew her myths. "YOu mean what was spoken before mankind built the Tower of Babel?"

Uncle nodded. "I have managed to translate it. It is a prophecy, one I had been concerned about, since I am pretty sure it relates to Ranma."

"What does it say?" Jade was eager to hear about this.

"I am getting to that!" Uncle said testily. "Ahem:

"One of Magic, One of Might,  
Stands alone against the night,  
Chosen's Chosen, by Birthright,  
Wield's the Sword, Immortal Knight."

Jade blinked for a time. "Okay...what does it mean?"

"I have no idea!" Uncle shouted. He gestured. "This chapter is over 14 pages long, and the entirety of it is dedicated to attempting to explain the prophecy and it's implications! I haven't translated it yet!"

"Why? I mean, it seems pretty straight forward."

"That's what makes it so difficult! The word I read as 'Sword'? It literally translates as, 'That which wounds,' so depending on usage, can mean sword, magic, light, power, weapon...or even Truth! And in this usage, it could mean any or all of them!"

"Woah. That's...pretty hard to wrap my head around. But you said it was starting to make sense?"

"This prophecy was given by Lu Donbin, the immortal who sealed Shendu, after the demons were sealed and the Panku box forged. I believe this means that the prophecy - and Ranma - has something to do with a continuation of the Immortal legend."

"Woah." Jade looked back at Ranma. "Pretty heavy responsibility for such a little guy."

"You will need to help him as much as possible, Jade. He has great power, and could easily stray to a dark path."

"Don't worry, Uncle!" Jade said with confidence she didn't feel. "I won't let him."

"I knew I could count on you, Jade! Just don't tell him of the Prophecy! He isn't ready for it yet."

Jade nodded, then went over to tend to Ranma. 


	11. Demon Hunting 1: Mountain

11. Demon Hunting 1 - Mountain

-  
*Ranma speaking in his mind*  
-Other Ranma responding-  
-

Late in the night, Tohru turned to Uncle. "Sensei...why did you choose me to be your apprentice?"

"Are you questioning Uncle?" Uncle asked dangerously. "Have you doubts about your ability? Do you doubt Uncle's ability to choose an apprentice?"

"No, sensei, nothing like that. It's just...Jade seems much more enthusiastic about magic than I-"

"Too enthusiastic, you mean. She will charge in headlong without thinking of the consequences!"

"And Ranma seems far more gifted." Uncle was silent. "Sensei?"

"You are right. Ranma has the gift."

Tohru tilted his head. This seemed significant. "Sensei?"

"There are three orders of Wizardry, based on how naturally magic comes to the wizard. Despite years of training, I have only the nack for wizardry. As such, I am a wizard of the third order." Uncle sighed. "This is not to say I am a weaker wizard, merely that I have to work harder for it. With training, you will be a wizard of the third order as well, Tohru.

"Jade," Uncle began. "Now Jade has the calling. Magic speaks to her. She is eager for it, she needs it. With proper training and guidance, she could become a wizard of the second order. Wizards of the second order can create new spells from the fragments of old...but the calling is dangerous. Many wizards of the second order have been tempted by the power of the dark arts, and become dark chi wizards. If an apprentice of mine took that path, it would be my duty to hunt them down, strip them of their power, and seal them away so they could hurt no one else. And I will not risk that for someone of my own flesh and blood!"

Tohru was shocked. He had no idea the signifcance of the bond between wizard and apprentice...or the trust Uncle was putting in him in taking him on as his apprentice. "Sensei..."

Uncle wasn't finished, however. "Now Ranma...he is a Wizard of the first order. He has the gift. He lives and breathes magic. It comes to him as naturally as swimming to a duck, as flying to a bird, as naturally as breathing. Wizards of the first order can craft new spells from nothing." Uncle stared straight at Tohru. "Wizards of the first order leave their mark on history, simply by being a part of it. The immortals who sealed Shendu and his brethren were all wizards of the first order. They crafted new spells based on instincts, to the need of the situation." Uncle looked away. "There have been dark wizards of the first order, as well. I'll leave it to your imagination, Tohru, what happened when Wizards of the first order fight."

Tohru shuddered. Having seen what Ranma could do untrained, he could easily imagine what a fully trained wizard of the first order might accomplish...and if one fought another...

"But that is not why I do not take Ranma as my apprentice!" Uncle proclaimed. "I do not take him as my apprentice...because there is nothing left to teach him."

"Sensei?" Tohru was shocked.

"Ranma often came into the library late at nights, as you recall, to read the spellbooks. Reading the ancient texts helped him to slumber. I have tested him on what he has read. He remembers every spell, every ingredient. The magic of the tomes bonded itself to his mind inextricably. He memorizes the magic in a single read, and understands the significance of what he reads. This is why he does not practice." Uncle shook his head. "If not for the fact that he is so young, and has so little experience with magic, I would proclaim him fit to practice as a chi wizard today, and fit to take on an apprentice of his own!"

Tohru was understandably shocked. "So...you do not take him on as an apprentice because you are worried he is not ready for the duties of practicing as a fully fledged chi wizard?"

"That...and because he is spoken of in porophecy. It is not my place to interfere in this prophecy."

"I see..." Tohru looked down at his text.

"I will leave you to your studies," Uncle said, yawning. "Uncle needs his rest."

Later, in Tokyo, Jade folded her newspaper. "I've got your back, Jack."

"But who's got yours?"

Jade spun around with a "Gah!" patting her chest. Ranma folded his newspaper. "What are you doing here?" she demanded of him.

"Keeping you out of trouble," he responded.

"Tokyo's mondo coolio," a voice said behind them both, "don't you think?"

Turning, Ranma groaned. "It seems I'm a little late there."

As Jade confronted her duplicate, Ranma felt himself blushing as he watched them almost come to blows. Later on, when both he and Jade got the 'surprise' of the copy Jade duplicating, he put his hand to his nose as he felt blood leaking. He waved Jade on as he sat back against the wall, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

He had been looking right at the duplicate of Jade, and when suddenly there were three of them...his head swam as he tried to make sense of this.

Suddenly, he had an inkling. *Yami!*

-Is that what you're going to call me now? How original. I wonder where you got that one from,- his adult perspective responded, sarcasm heavy in the mental voice.

*You have something to do with this, don't you?*

-With what, exactly?-

*My reaction to Jade duplicating!*

-Oh, that. Well, in a manner of speaking, I do.-

*Make it stop!*

-You're the only one who can do that.-

*What are you talking about?*

-Come on. You've had nosebleeds like this one before in your old life. You know what that means.-

*...no way!*

-That's right. Since it seems you can't wrap your mind around the concepts on your own, let me spell it out for you. You like her, and in more than a friend way, if you ever thought about it. Now, while physically you aren't at the point of adult attraction yet - thank Kami-sama - you are aware of those things because of me. As such, part of your mind thinks about ehr in those ways. Because of that, your body reacts despite the young age. In this case, it was your body reacting to the notion of there being two - make that three - of the girl you are emotionally and - eventually - physically attracted to.-

Ranma thought about this for some time. *I'm turning into Happosai!*

-No, you're not. If you were, you would be acting on these impulses. Having them is completely natural...although there is hardly anything natural about your current situation, but that's magic for you.-

*So...what do I do?*

-In the long term, I recomend talking to Uncle about all of this, eventually. Explain everything to him. He'll be able to help. In the meantime, I recommend not thinking about it, and going to help Jade.-

*Right.*

Ranma was able to do this, even going so far as to help Jade hide her ever increasing duplicates from Jackie. This went quite well...right up until the closet fell open and Ranma found himself buried under a pile of Jades. He lost conciousness after that.

He tagged along when Jade - all of them - went with Uncle and Tohru to the temple to fight Po Kon. When Uncle demanded the drum, however, Ranma clutched at his wrist. a blue light flared briefly on the back of his hand, and a glowing blue drum appeared in the air in front of him.

Po kon looked at it. "The Prophecy!" She began to struggle harder. "No!"

Uncle worked quickly, adding his magic to that of the drum. Ranma struck the drum three times. The portal sucked Po Kon back in, and was sealed. The drum vanished, and Ranma collapsed in exhaustion.

On the flight home, Ranma approached Uncle. "Sensei..." he began carefully.

Uncle looked up at him. "What is it you need, son?"

"What makes you think I need something?" Ranma asked, surprised.

"Ranma, when we are at the store or otherwise dealing with strangers, you call me Uncle. When we are just among family, or you are felling more in need of comfort, you call me Dad. You only call me sensei - as though I were your teacher - when you are asking a favor, especially one you think I won't grant."

Ranma flushed. "I didn't realise I was so transparent."

"It is alright. What was it you wanted?"

"I think you should take Jade on as an apprentice."

"Aiyah! Are you crazy? You saw what happened when she tried to cast the duplication spell!"

"Exactly. Magic calls to her, and without proper guidance, she will continue to seek it with greater and greater consequences. And no lock - physical or otherwise - will prevent her from getting to the books and ingredients."

Uncle nodded. "This is true. However, I do not have time to train two apprentices AND research the spells to fight the demons AND run the shop!"

Ranma swallowed. It was now or never. "Then let me train her."

"Aiyah!" Uncle shouted staggering back.

"Dad, I know I'm not ready to practice as a chi wizard, but I know the books well. I have a sense for when magic is done right, and what I can teach her will certainly keep her busy. And...I have a plan that will hopefully deaden her eagerness for experimentation." He pulled out a book. "I picked this up in Tokyo with my allowance."

Uncle examined the book. "Fallen Magi: the Bloody Side of Magic?"

Ranma nodded. "It's a compendium of the fates that have been fallen reckless chi wizards and their apprentices, when they attempted magics they weren't ready for or didn't understand." Ranma pointed out a few particularly gruesome results. "I looked through it. It has vivid descriptions, and even some illustrations. And every bit of it is certified fact, as it is eye witness accounts of those close to the magic users."

Uncle stared at some of what was in the book in horror. "Aiyah! Anyone who read through this would be likely to be scared off magic completely!"

"Exactly," Ranma said, his voice cold. "Her first lesson will be to read through this book and commit every page to memory. It is a warning to not mess with magic lightly. If, after reading this book through and taking its warning to heart, she still wants to learn magic...then nothing will stop her, and at least she will be careful."

Uncle thought about this, and handed the book back to Ranma. As far as he was concerned, the book didn't need certification. THe dark feel to it was proof enough that every word was true. "Very well. I trust your instincts, Ranma. If after reading this, Jade still wishes to learn magic...then you are ready to take her on as your apprentice."

Ranma blinked. Not, 'you have my permission,' as he had half expected, but, 'you are ready'? "Dad?"

"Ranma, you have been ready to practice as a chi wizard for some time. I have not told you because...I feared for you. But this proves you know what you are doing, even for the more dangerous aspects, such as training an apprentice. I believe in you." Uncle smiled. "It will be a relief to have such a skilled chi wizard available to assist me."

"Dad!" Ranma said, tears in his eyes. He threw his arms around Uncle in a fierce embrace.

Uncle smiled. "One more thing!" he said suddenly. "Don't let your magic practice or teachings interfere with either of your homework! You both better keep bringing home good grades, or I shall be forced to reconsider my opinion."

Ranma laughed. "Thanks, Dad." 


	12. Demon Hunting 2: Wind, Thunder

12. Demon Hunting 2 - Wind, Thunder

While Jackie was undercover at the prison, Ranma began Jade's apprenticship. "Okay, Jade, have you completed your first lesson?"

Jade nodded, swallowing convulsively. The stories in the book had given her nightmares of those things - and worse - happening when she experimented with spells. Still, she wasn't about to give up on learning magic, not when it was being offered.

Ranma saw her determination and nodded. "Alright. You've learned meditation, right? For your martial arts?"

Jade nodded. "Yeah. It always seemed kind of boring, though."

"Well, put that out of your mind. Meditation is a key skill for using your chi. It allows you to control it, guide it, amplify it. Without meditation, spells will go out of control, magic will go awry, and..." Ranma gestured to the book. It was his instruction that she keep it nearby whenever she practiced magic. "I'm sure I don't need to go into details."

Jade nodded. "I got it."

"Okay. First, we shall meditate." Standing up, Ranma drew a circle around them both in sand, then energized it with his chi. "Until I tell you, don't meditate for your magic without one of these circles around you, or without me or Uncle there to monitor. When you meditate to tap into magic, until you learn control, any magic you have will spill out of you. And in a shop full of magic ingredients and tomes...you can imagine what might happen."

Jade shuddered. She could.

"Alright. Close your eyes and breathe, to a count of seven."

Jade nodded. Closing her eyes, she inhaled to a count of seven, held her breath to the count, exhaled to the count, held to the count.

Ranma watched for a time. He anointed the lids of his eyes with an oil he'd mixed that would - for a time - let him see magic without using his own. He saw the magic flowing around her, as green as the stone she was named for. "Alright," he said, once he was sure she had her focus, "can you feel the magic around you?"

She nodded.

"Describe it," he said. This was important. He needed to know she could seize this feeling any time.

"It feels...warm. Like the sun on a summer day."

"Alright. Now, I want you to picture taking your entire being and fitting it into something small. This will teach you to focus and control how your magic flows."

He wasn't going from lessons in the books of magic Uncle had. He was borrowing from some fantasy novels he had read, but he had found the lessons useful.

As he watched, Jade struggled with the lesson. Her magic pulled into her slowly, but kept escaping her grasp. Then her expression changed, and she smiled. Slowly but surely, her magic fell into her, collapsing, containing itself.

Ranma smiled as he saw the shape she had chosen to contain herself in: it was a talisman. He waited until he was sure she had control, then tapped her on her shoulder. Once she came back to herself, he nodded. "That's enough for today. Tomorrow, if you can repeat this as easily, we will begin with some simple spells."

Later, they left with Uncle and Tohru to assist Jackie in the prison. When they encountered the demon, Ranma's chi sparked in lightning around him, but his exhertions instructing Jade had left him weakened. As such, he was unable to assist with the chi spell.

When two guards came to take Jackie back into the prison afterwards, however, Ranma had something to assist. Pulling a small vial out of his sleeve, he uncorked it. The fumes that came out of it caused the guards to fall deep asleep. "Sleeping potion," Ranma said with a smile. "Guaranteed to give eight hours of pleasent, uninterrupted sleep."

While in Hollywood, Ranma got sidetracked by several things that caught his eye, and quickly got seperated from the group. While he wandered, trying to find his way back, he stumbled across several people discussing a movie they were working on.

"Look, I know this idea will make big bucks - everyone's eager for well made movie adaptions - but we need to find good actors for it!"

"Yeah...the money to make this film will be here in a year, but how are we supposed to find child stars who can pull the kind of stunts we're looking for...without running into crazy liability issues?"

Ranma didn't really pay attention to what they were discussing. He looked around and, seeing a nearby blind alley, went in and triangle jumped up the walls till he got to the roof, and from there looked around for the usual sighs of Jade and the others...explosions, mystic surges, traffic jams, and the like.

The film makers, however, were staring at what had just happened. "Did you see that?" one of them said.

The one who seemed in charge smiled. "Ask and ye shall receive. Let's keep an eye out for that kid. If he can act, we are golden!"

Later, Ranma managed to catch up to everyone else...after the demon was sealed, just in time to hear Larry declare that Jackie would never do lunch in Hollywood, ever.

"Woah. Tough break," Ranma said. "So what did I miss?"

"A gold mine!" a voice said from behind him. Everyone turned. "Name's Richard Higurashi, big name producer." He extended his hand to shake.

"I know about you!" Jade said louldy. "You're Larry's biggest rival as far as movie production goes! You made 'Dragons of Dark Dawn!' I loved that movie!" Jade coughed. "'Though darkness seeks to claim this world, the dragon's flames shall drive it back, and let light shine once more!'" Jade said, changing her voice to be gravelly and deep.

"I hit bigger than I thought!" Richard proclaimed. "Tell me something, kid, can you do the action stunts like he can?" he said, pointing at Ranma.

"You bet!" Jade said, excited. Then she gasped. "You want us for a movie?"

"Not just you two," he said excitedly. "The next big film I'm gonna be making - the filming starts in a year - is gonna be a new spin on the story of 'The Legend of Zelda,' and I need actors for the four big roles." He pointed at Ranma. "Link, Hero of Hyrule." To Jade. "Zelda, Lost Princess." To Uncle. "Saharsrala, Last of the Sages." Finally, he pointed to Tohru. "And Ganondorf, evil wizard king!" He grinned at them all. "So what do you say? The biggest problem I had was with the stunts that will need doing, but it doesn't look like you kids will have any problem with it."

Jade gasped. "Me, a movie star! Can I Jackie? Please?"

Jackie looked thoughtful. "Well..."

"You her guardian?" Richard asked. He handed Jackie his card. "Give me a ring in a year or so, and we can talk terms. Trust me, this film is going to be big! I'll even send you an advance copy of the script and the planned stunts, so you can think it over. Trust me, they won't do anything to dangerous." Richard turned. "I'll be seeing you," he said, heading off.

Ranma and Jade looked at each other, grinning. THis would be really fun. Jade gave Jackie her cutest begging face, begging him to let him. Ranma turned to Uncle. "Can I, Dad, please?"

"I see no reason why not, as long as you keep up your grades and magic studies."

Jackie, getting a cue, turned to Jade. "If the script doesn't show anything too dangerous, and you keep your grades up...I suppose you can."

Ranma and Jade leaped into the air, high fiving. "YES!" they shouted together. 


	13. Queen of the Shadowkhan

13. Queen of the Shadowkhan

Ranma had gone into a deep meditation early that day, seeking some way of bringing his divided essence into balance, some way of bringing his body up to a point where he could use his magic without the exhaustion that plagued him so frequently.

As always when he meditated, he found himself face to face with his female form, which in his mind represented his adult psyche.

"I know what you're really seeking in here," she said calmly. "You know the magical exhaustion is because you're using 16 years worth of chi in an 11 year old body. There's just too much, and your stamina isn't up to snuff. Don't worry about it. Puberty will fix that."

"At the rate events are going," Ranma replied, "puberty will probably be too late. But there isn't any other solution?"

"You know there isn't. So, shall we get to what you're really thinking about? What's really been bugging you?"

Ranma sighed. It was impossible to deceive himself. He'd never been good at deceit. "Jade."

"I thought so. Being her teacher in magic means spending a lot more time with her, which we enjoy. But that scares you."

"..." Ranma pulled out the fatejewel. "When I turn 18...this jewel will take me back, won't it?"

"That's how such magic works."

"Then...should I really be thinking such things?" Ranma put the jewel away. "Do I have the right to pursue such feelings, when I know I do not have forever to offer?"

His adult psyche sighed quietly. "These thoughts...you are much to young to know how to solve them. You were before you found yourself in this situation, as well. But think about this." She pointed at the fatejewel. "You were given a chance to live a new life. Do you really want to NOT explore any opportunity you find here...to come back and find you wasted this gift? Do you want regrets?"

The adult psyche faded, leaving Ranma alone with his thoughts. After some time, he stared down at the Jewel. "I don't want regrets...but I would regret hurting her far more than having not tried..."

Several hours later, Ranma came out of his deep meditation and came down into the shop to find a huge mess. "What did I miss?" Ranma asked, totally confused. "Where's Jade? And why is there such a strong feeling of Dark Magic?"

Uncle looked up at him. "Aiyah! Jade used the symbol on the Demon Archive to give herself a tattoo, and now she has been corrupted by its power!"

Jackie nodded. "I will take the tattoo removal potion and-"

"NO!" Ranma snapped. The vial of potion flew to his hand without a concious mystical exhertion. "She is my student. I will handle this. Where is she?"

Jackie started to complain. "Ranma, I should-"

"He is right," Uncle said, handing the larger vial to Ranma. "He is her teacher in chi magic. This is a mystical matter. As such, it is his responsibility to deal with her. We must leave this to him." He patted Ranma on the shoudler. "She is at Section 13. Good luck, young wizard."

Ranma nodded, and headed for Section 13, silently berrating himself. How could he let this happen? He knew Jackie was going to be bringing in a dangerous magical book, and he knew Jade's hunger for magic had only gotten stronger with his teachings. If the book had even the SLIGHTEST latent magic, it would have seized her hunger with ease, drawing her in. And yet...he went to deal with HIS issues, abandoning her to dangerous magic! He didn't deserve to call himself her teacher, her friend!

But he would fix this. He would HELP her. He would face the consequences.

As Ranma walked into Section 13, some of the Shadowkhan approached him, but his chi sparked, and they backed away.

"Now read me a story, demon," Jade was saying as Ranma entered the central room.

"Forgive me, Your Highness," Shendu responded. "I could easily translate this entire volume for you, but...true power does not reside in textbooks." Ranma could hear his oily smile. "I could teach you, dark queen."

"She already has a teacher, Shendu," Ranma called out, stepping into the main room. "Now step away from my student."

Jade looked up. "Ranma!" At first she smiled at him, then frowned. "Why have you brought that potion? I told them I would forever be Queen of the Shadowkhan!"

"I know, Jade," Ranma said, setting the potion aside. "And if that is truely your desire when we are finished here, I will gladly aid you in this matter, and teach you all that book contains. I recognize the text, and know how to read it." He turned. "But your presence, Shendu, is no longer required."

"Now see here-" Shendu began, but was interrupted by Shadowkhan seizing him.

"My teacher is correct," Jade said with a hiss in her voice. "I only need ONE translator."

The Shadowkhan dragged Shendu back to his former location and dumped him there unceremoniously.

Jade turned to Ranma, smiling. "Won't you come sit with me, dear teacher?" she asked, patting a spot next to her on the throne.

Ranma smiled. "Before we go any further, I want to ask you...is this truely what you want?"

Jade's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Think about this...if you are queen of the shadowkhan, then your whole family, and all your friends, are now enemies. Are the silent ninjas as company truely a fair trade? Will they be able to cure that perpetual loneliness?" Ranma shook his head. "Believe me, I know what it means to be alone in a crowd."

Jade nodded. "As do I. But...I will have you with me, won't I? You won't betray me as well, will you?"

Ranma walked forward and extended his hand. His chi sparked as he reached for her, and she hissed in pain, pulling back. He withdrew his hand. "In the presence of dark magic, my chi responds, creating the blue lightning which destroys evil power. It is not a concious reaction, and I can not control it." He walks forward until his chi begins to spark, then takes a step back. "I can come no closer than this, without causing you pain."

Jade stared at Ranma, her solid red eyes wavering. She blinked, and her eyes returned to a normal human shape, tears falling from them. "You mean," she said, her voice more normal, "I have to choose between this magic - this power - and you?"

Ranma's eyes widened. The magic had given her the timeless perspective, and he realized what she meant. Deep inside him, his heart leapt and sank as realization hit him with more force than the Ox and Rabbit Talismans together could give someone. Swallowing, he nodded. "That is the choice you must make."

Jade stared at Ranma, then glanced at the book. Seizing the Archive, she tossed it aside. "No!" she shouted. "No! No! No!" She sank to her knees, tears falling like rain.

Externally calm, inwardly crying harder than she was, Ranma carefully set the potion on the desk.

Looking up, Jade seized it, pulled out the cork, and doused her tattoo. She cried in pain as the dark magic was purged from her. The Shadowkhan vanished.

When all trace of the magic had vanished from her, Ranma ran forward and pulled her into his arms, holding her close, letting her cry, and letting his own tears fall. Tears for her, for the pain she had felt and the choice she had made...and tears for the consequences the future would bring for the meaning behind the choice.

About an hour later, Jade had fallen asleep. Lifting her carefully onto his back, he went to take her back home, but noticed the archive. He bent to pick it up.

His chi sparked. Blue lighting leapt from his body and consumed the archive, dissolving it into powder.

Ranma blinked. "I guess...that answers that question. Uncle's not gonna be happy..."

Ranm stumbled forward, turning to catch Jade gently as he now fell onto his back. Gently cradling her, he slipped into unconciousness, hoping Uncle and the others would find them soon. *Gods, I'm glad I'm 11, or this would look really bad...* he thought, as his mind fell into the darkness of slumber.

That was how Jackie and the others found them, an hour later. Jade was curled up on Ranma's chest in her Queen outfit. Ranma had his arms wrapped protectively around her. The ashes of the archive sat to the side. Uncle gave Jackie his classic two finger striek. "See? I told you Ranma was a good teacher!" 


End file.
